Euchre Glossary

The words you will meet in euchre, in alphabetical order.

Alone: Playing a hand without your partner, who sits out. A lone march scores 4.
Assist: When the dealer’s partner accepts the up card as trump in round one.
Benny: In British euchre, the joker: the highest trump. Also called the best bower.
Bower: One of the top trumps. From the German word Bauer, which also means jack.
Crossing: Naming a suit of the opposite color to the turned-down card in round two.
Defenders: The team that did not make trump.
Euchre: When the makers take fewer than 3 tricks. The defenders score 2 points.
Follow suit: Playing a card of the suit that was led. Required whenever you can.
In the barn: Having 9 points, one away from winning (Midwest saying).
Kitty: The cards left over after the deal: the up card and the three face-down cards.
Left bower: The jack of the same color as trump. The second-highest trump, and part of the trump suit.
Lead: The first card played to a trick.
Loner: A hand strong enough to play alone, or the act of going alone.
Makers: The team that chose trump. They need 3 of the 5 tricks.
March: Winning all five tricks. Worth 2, or 4 alone. Also called a sweep.
Next: The suit of the same color as the turned-down card, often named in round two.
Order up: Making the up card’s suit trump as an opponent of the dealer. The dealer picks the card up.
Pick it up: When the dealer takes the up card and makes its suit trump.
Right bower: The jack of the trump suit: the highest card (below only the Benny in British euchre).
Stick the dealer: A rule that the dealer must name trump if everyone else passes in round two.
Trick: One card from each active player. The highest trump or highest card of the suit led wins it.
Trump: The suit chosen for the hand. Any trump beats any card of another suit.
Turn down: When everyone passes in round one and the up card is turned face down.
Up card: The card turned face up after the deal. Its suit can be ordered up as trump.

Learn the game step by step in how to play.